Neville hails Heaven’s breakout display but slams Amorim’s “bizarre” subs
Ayden Heaven
December 2025
Gary Neville praised 19-year-old defender Ayden Heaven for an outstanding Player of the Match performance against Newcastle, highlighting his aerial dominance and composure, but criticised Ruben Amorim’s second-half substitutions for destabilising United’s shape as they clung on to Patrick Dorgu’s volleyed winner. Neville lauded Heaven’s mentality after earlier struggles versus West Ham and Bournemouth, yet argued that withdrawing Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw for Tyler Fredricson and long-exiled Tyrell Malacia invited pressure, branding the late in-game configuration “bizarre” even though United ultimately ground out the result.